10 DAYS IN ITALY ITINERARY: 5 AMAZING IDEAS FOR YOUR TRIP TO ITALY
Italy is a country that is on many travelers’ wish list. And why not? Italy has it all: fabulous cuisine, gorgeous cities, towering mountains and beautiful beaches, and ancient historical sites. Throw in some gelato and wine and you have the perfect ingredients for a memorable 10-day holiday in Europe. If you have 10 days in Italy, we have five great ideas for how you can spend your time.
For first timers to Italy, Rome, Florence, and Venice usually make the “must-see” list. With 10 days in Italy, you have just enough time to visit these three cities and add in a quick visit to a nearby destination. How to do this is spelled out in our “Classic” Italy itinerary.
But for those who want different ideas of how to spend your time in Italy, we have four more recommendations for you.
With 10 days in Italy, you have just enough time to get a taste of this country. Don’t try to see it all at once. Italy is better visited at a slower pace, so you can sample the food, wander the streets, and get the full experience.
With these itineraries, we tried to strike a balance between visiting a handful of cities and moving slowly enough to have the best experience.
10 DAYS IN ITALY: 5 ITINERARIES
ITALY ITINERARY #1: THE CLASSIC
Our classic Italy itinerary includes Rome, Florence, and Venice, and the Cinque Terre. It’s a great option if this is your first visit to Italy, since you get to visit three of Italy’s most popular cities along with a visit to a spectacular coastal destination.
Below is an overview of this itinerary.
10 DAYS IN ITALY: ROME, FLORENCE, CINQUE TERRE & VENICE
Day 1: Arrive in Rome
Day 2: Rome
Day 3: Florence
Day 4: Florence
Day 5: Tuscany Day Trip
Day 6: Cinque Terre
Day 7: Cinque Terre
Day 8: Venice
Day 9: Venice
Day 10: Fly home
Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre & Venice | 10 Days in Italy Itinerary (map adapted from Google)
IMPORTANT!! We get a lot of comments and emails about how to add one or two more destinations to this itinerary. We know that it is tempting to squeeze as much in as possible, but we do not recommend adding more to this itinerary. This is already a very busy schedule. If you add on another city, you will get to “see” a lot, but you will end up spending most of your time in Italy on the train. If anything, consider adding more time to Rome before adding on another destination.
DAY 1 & 2: ROME
Sunset in Rome | 10 Days in Italy Itinerary
The first day in Rome can be challenging if you arrive on a red-eye flight. Do your best to get adjusted to the time change, visit a few sites in the afternoon, and consider going to bed a little early.
With less than two full days in Rome, you will not be able to see everything, but some of the must-see sites include the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Borghese art gallery, and a tour of the Vatican. Stroll through Piazza Navona and consider having dinner in the Trastevere neighborhood.
DAY 3, 4 & 5: FLORENCE AND TUSCANY
Travel by train to Florence. This journey takes just 1.5 hours, so if you leave early in the morning you will have most of the day in Florence.
Siena, Italy | 10 Days in Italy Itinerary
On this itinerary, you have three days in Florence and Tuscany. Florence needs at least one full day to see the main sites. You should also spend one full day in Tuscany. There are numerous hill towns to visit as well as Siena, one of our favorite spots in Italy. You have to decide how to spend the third day: more time in gorgeous Florence or another day in Tuscany, visiting the small towns and vineyards.
We recommend spending two days in Florence with one day for day tripping into Tuscany. Learn how to plan your time in Florence with our 2 Day Florence Itinerary and get ideas on places to visit in Tuscany in our article Best Day Trips from Florence.
One of the best ways to get around Tuscany is to hire a driver. This allows you to sit back and enjoy the views and the wine without the hassles of parking and navigating between the towns. If you are more independent, you can rent a car (this is what we did after our terrible experience with the public bus system in Italy). We do not recommend the bus. On more than one occasion, the bus failed to show up, leaving us stranded on the side of the road. This not only happened in Tuscany but also Sorrento and Amalfi.
DAY 6 & 7: CINQUE TERRE
On the morning of day 6, take the train from Florence to the Cinque Terre. It takes between 1.5 to 3 hours to get to the Cinque Terre. Direct trains take less time but there are many more options that have a transfer in Pisa. You can take a few hours to visit Pisa on the way to the Cinque Terre, but you would be missing out on some valuable time in the Cinque Terre.
If you are booking a train to the Cinque Terre, you will arrive in La Spezia and then take the local train to one the five towns of the Cinque Terre. It takes just 9 minutes to travel from La Spezia to the first town, Riomaggiore, and trains run very frequently.
The Cinque Terre is magical. Five picture perfect towns perched along the Mediterranean coastline just waiting to be explored. You can spend a full day hiking between them or use the train to hop between towns.
DAY 8 & 9: VENICE
Take the train from the Cinque Terre (La Spezia) to Venice. There are no direct trains. Most trains transfer in either Milan or Florence. The quickest journey takes 4 hours but some can take over 6 hours. For your day of travel, book the shortest, most convenient train in the morning, so you have the afternoon to spend in Venice.
One day in Venice is really all you need to see the main highlights. Spend the extra time by cruising out to Murano and Burano or simply wandering the canals some more.
DAY 10
Begin your travels home. Or, for those with more time, continue onto your next destination.
ITALY ITINERARY#2: ROME, THE AMALFI COAST & FLORENCE
Venice and the Cinque Terre did not make this itinerary, but what you are getting is a visit to the stunning Amalfi Coast, a day trip out the beautiful island of Capri, Pompeii, and an extra day in Rome.
10 DAYS IN ITALY: ROME, AMALFI COAST, FLORENCE & TUSCANY
Day 1: Arrive in Rome
Day 2: Rome
Day 3: Rome
Day 4: Sorrento and Pompeii
Day 5: Capri
Day 6: Amalfi Coast
Day 7: Florence
Day 8: Florence
Day 9: Tuscany
Day 10: Fly home
Rome, Amalfi Coast, Florence & Tuscany | 10 Days in Italy Itinerary (map adapted from Google)
DAY 1, 2 & 3: ROME
On this itinerary you have one extra day in Rome. This gives you plenty of time to explore this city. Even so, it will be a very busy three days.
Rome | 10 Days in Italy Itinerary
DAY 4: POMPEII AND SORRENTO
Today, you will visit Pompeii in transit between Rome and Sorrento. This is relatively easy to do. From Rome, take the train to Naples (70 minutes). Once in Naples you will transfer to the Campania Express train and take this to Pompeii (get off at the Pompeii Scavi station).
While touring Pompeii, you can store your luggage in the luggage storage facility in the Pompeii Scavi station.
Pompeii | 10 Days in Italy Itinerary
After touring Pompeii, pick up your luggage and then take the Campania Express train to Sorrento. Most likely you are arriving in the mid to late afternoon. After checking into your hotel (your home base for 3 nights), stroll along the marina, have dinner, and try the limoncello…it’s delicious!
Sorrento | 10 Days in Italy Itinerary
DAY 5: CAPRI
Capri is just 20 minutes away from Sorrento by boat. Once in Capri, take a boat tour around the island, enjoy the breathtaking view from Mount Solaro, and explore the towns of Capri and Anacapri. You can even go hiking if you like.
Via Krupp, Capri
DAY 6: AMALFI COAST
Amalfi Coast
From Sorrento, take a day trip to the Amalfi Coast. This is described as one of the most scenic drives in the world. Along the way, visit the towns of Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello.
Positano
The best way to get around is by private driver, ferry, or by boat, whether it is a small group tour or private boat. Parking can be a huge hassle (avoid self-driving the Amalfi Coast during peak season) and using the public bus system can be a nightmare (been there, done that, and we had a miserable experience).
DAY 7, 8 & 9: FLORENCE AND TUSCANY
The morning of day 7 is spent traveling from Sorrento to Florence. You can take the Campania Express train or hire a private driver to the Naples train station (Napoli Centrale). From Naples it is a 3-hour train ride to Florence. It is a gorgeous journey, especially the final hour, as you travel through Tuscany.
San Gimignano, Tuscany | 10 Days in Italy Itinerary
DAY 10
Begin your travels home. Ideally, fly home from the Florence airport. While researching flights, if you find that you don’t have great options from this airport, you might have to return to Rome and fly home from here.[……]